hey guys,

just got a new 2004 lariat f150 4x4 about 2 onths ago. i got the 4x4 even though i live in san diego. i can't make it out to the trails and mountains as much as i like so the 4 wheel drive will only be used maybe 4 times a year or so. mainly got it because we take a trip to bigbear everyyear and i had to outdo my friends on the trails.

what do i do to keep it in shape.

i heard i just have to engage it once a month or so but ive heard not to use it too much on pavement or when turning?

would just finding some gravel and driving it around for a few hundred feet be fine? or should i just put it in 4wheel drive hi and drive slowly around the neighborhood. would sharp turning be bad for the diff. or anything?

sorry for being so long. first truck for me. if it was bad for pavement what about the 4 wheel drive audis and subarus? that just came to me. maybe you knows know of a few informative websites.

thanks -john

 

More moving parts = more wear, and more rotating mass to get moving and stopped.

Thats the short, simple answer.

The deal with turning is that the front tires turn on a wider arc than the rear, same as the tire on the outside of a turn (same axle) travels further than the tire on the inside.

Newer trucks have a differential between the front and rear axles, just like axles have a differential between the right and left tires. This allows each tire to turn it's own speed without putting opposing force on the drive line.

The older part time 4x4s rely on one of the tires slipping to relieve the stress opposing the drive line. If the tire doesn't give, something else is likely to.

I don't know anything about your truck. If your transfer case has a differential built in, your only worry is wearing out all those extra parts.

 

Yah, with the truck you have, you have a real transfer case, not any central disconnect or anything like that.

Which means the front and rear axles are physically connected via the transfer case. There's no viscous coupling, no fluid coupling or anything that allows slipping. The only slipping youre likely to get is from tires on the same axles.

THUSTLY, you wont want to simply pop into 4x4 and cruise, even if you dont do turns. Your vehicle will have some very slight ratio differences between the front and rear axle. IE, for every 1 rotation of the rear wheels, the front wheels rotate 1.1 times. Which means binding. Which means breaking things.

Finding the gravel to drive on would be helpful.

As for the Audis, and other all wheel drive vehicles (not exactly the same a 4 wheel drive..kind of confusing at first, eh?).

They use what I'd mentioned earlier, the viscous coupling, or some other high tech invention that goes between the front and rear axles. This means that there is some slippage between the front and rear axles, so that during turns or what have you, the wheels are allowed to move in a natural manner.

Anyhow, you can find whole web pages devoted to explaining how each system works. Try a search online for "how all wheel drive works" or something like that. You'll probably come to www.howthingswork.com

 

The reason you are told to put it in 4wd every onec in a while is to lube everything. Just make sure that you spin the gears in your axles and chain (or gears) in your t-case and you'll be fine.

 

thanks everyone. just hard to find dirt in the middle of the city. there is this place we used to go to and hang out but now the cops are handing out 500 dollar trespassing fines. i think there should be some sort of adverse possession on that property.

 

Blitzen25bm,

Just go there late at night. Run a water line to the property. 2 years later, you own the land, unless the owner tears out the water line or builds there.

Squatter's rights rule!

Ok, ok..I doubt that law still works, but it's a fun thought.